PKG File Extension

What is the .PKG file type?

A short for 'Package,' the .pkg extension primarily associates with the Mac OS/iOS Software Installation Package (PKG) file type and format. Mac OS is the collective name of operating systems developed by Apple for its Macintosh (Mac) computers, while iOS is the Apple's operating system for portable iPhone/iPad devices. Both in Mac OS and iOS, the PKG format is used as a standard way of software deployment via the Apple's Installer utility.

A .pkg file is the Mac OS/iOS-specific software installation package, an XAR-compressed archive with an internal directory structure. In Mac OS/iOS, the PKG file type is associated with the Installer tool that handles the installation of such .pkg packages. Mac OS/iOS software packages (PKG) are intended for those OS'es only and cannot be used/installed elsewhere. However, some archive managers allow to view and extract contents of .pkg archives on several different platforms.

Besides Mac OS/iOS, the .pkg extension also identifies software installation packages in Solaris (Sun OS), AT&T UNIX, and other similar UNIX-like operating systems.

Apart from the above, the .pkg extension is associated with the Sony PlayStation Installation Package (PKG) file format/type. PKG is a proprietary encrypted binary format developed by Sony for its PlayStation game consoles, incl. PlayStation Portable (PSP).

A .pkg file is a standalone binary container with all files and resources, constituting a particular piece of PlayStation software (most commonly, games). Initially intended for UMD (Universal Media Disk), the PKG format is now used for all PlayStation content, downloadable from the PlayStation Network (PSN) or PlayStation Store (PSS). There are certain unofficial utilities that allow decryption of PKG containers and manipulation with their contents.

PKG packages can be downloaded directly to a PlayStation device, or transferred to it via a USB stick—it is possible to install .pkg packages from within the main PlayStation menu.

Additionally, the .pkg extension is employed to denote the Action Definition File (.pkg) file type used together with Action Studio, an integrated tool to create custom scripts for Automise. Automise is a comprehensive solution by VSoft to automate system administration tasks in Microsoft Windows. A .pkg action definition file is an XML-based plaintext file that constitutes an Automise plugin, a script that implements a custom action. PKG plugins are located in the "Program Files\Automise\ActionDef" directory.

With reference to Symbian OS, an operating system for mobile devices (smartphones, etc.) by Nokia, the .pkg extension denotes the Symbian Package Definition (PKG) file type. Such package definition files (.pkg) are text files that contain description of files and instructions for building Symbian OS packages (.sis), using the 'makesis' tool.

Lastly, the .pkg extension is often used to label different package files. A generic package file is a compressed or uncompressed archive, containing a collection of resource files, most commonly within an internal directory tree, along with installation/extraction instructions. PKG packages are used by various applications and environments as installation media, data containers, feature packs, etc.

Software to open or convert PKG files

PrintPratic by Micro Application

 

Hamster ZIP Archiver by HamsterSoft

 

Parallels Tools Center

 

WinRAR by win.rar GmbH

 

HP ePrint&Share

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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